One of Them
by MarauderGirl777
Summary: ON HIATUS. Gaara became the Kazekage to get closer to the people.. Why did he feel farther away from them than before? He learns what he really needs, from the strangest of people... Gaaracentric, GaaSaku.
1. Closing the Open Spaces

_One of Them_

_**"Closing The Open Spaces."**_

Gaara sighed.

Being Kazekage wasn't all it was cracked up to be. He knew it wouldn't be the most entertaining job, but he didn't think all he'd do _every single day_ was sign papers and have meetings with boring old men who were only there for their own profit.

He wish there was something more in his life, something more than.. paperwork, meetings, more paperwork... He rarely ever got to go out on the streets and converse with the villagers. He had to watch them from his office window.

Which was what he did now. He sighed, one hand touching the glass as he stared out through it. He watched the children play, watched the women chat as they shopped, watched the men smile happily as they worked on buildings, watched shop-keepers smile at the passerby, inviting them into their shops for treats, or gifts.

His eyes lowered to the floor. He wanted something more. He thought becoming the Hokage would help him earn respect, trust from his villagers.. And he could only watch them as they lived their daily lives. Sometimes, he just wanted to be one of them. No extraordinary ninja, no Hokage, no secret weapon.. Just a plain villager.

* * *

"Izumi, I'm leaving for the day." he said with a tone of voice that left no room for debate as he walked out of the Kazekage building.

"B-Bu--"

The glare that Gaara sent back at the old man was enough to make him stop in his tracks and hurry back inside without another word.

Gaara looked around as he slowly tread the sandy streets of Suna.

Suna. His home.

Many of the villagers were too busy to notice him, but those who did crowded around him, smiling at him. He looked at them all curiously.

His eyes widened when his legs were hugged by a pair of small arms. He looked down to see a small girl with dirty brown hair looking up at him with sparkling blue eyes, and she smiled brightly up at him, murmuring, "Kazekage-sama..!"

Gaara stared down at her in awe, and she smiled wider, teeth shining up at him. "Thank you, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara felt something tugging at his heart. He gulped, swallowing a small lump in his throat, and something made the corners of his mouth curve upwards slightly, in the smallest smile.

There was another tug on the back of his red outfit. He looked back and saw a little boy smiling up at him, the only teeth in his mouth being his two front ones. His eyes were a light green shade, his messy blonde hair almost covering the bright orbs. "Yeah, thank you, Kazekage-sama!"

Before he knew it, all the kids that had been playing ball on the street had gathered around him, hugging at his legs and tugging on his sleeves, asking questions, saying "arigato" or "I love you Kazekage-sama". Gaara was slightly overwhelmed.

He looked around, and now noticed that every single villager within sight had their attention focused on him. The women were smiling, blushing, making little giggles at the sight. Gaara looked at the men and they were smiling in encouragement. He even saw his sister Temari and his brother Kankuro among the crowd. They'd apparently come out of the Kazekage building to see what everyone was staring at.

Gaara cast a small glare at Temari, who was giggling loudly. _'I wanted to mingle with the people, but I didn't expect _this,' He thought. No matter how agitated he was at his sister's giggling, he couldn't help but feel wanted.

He looked down at the children, and slowly raised his hands to set them on two different heads. He looked down at them all, the smallest smile gracing his lips. "Thank you."

* * *

He had gone to get some food. He was starving beyond belief. He looked around at the small shop. It looked quite similar to the Ichiraku's in Konoha. He ordered a bowl of seaweed ramen, and was waiting for it when an elderly woman walked into the little stand, sitting on the stool beside him.

"Evening, Kazekage-sama," she said with a knowing smile.

He looked at her. "Hello," he murmured.

"Why the lonely face?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I'm no-..." the look on her face let him know it was no use to lie. He sighed, looking at the wall. "I don't know. I became Kazekage to get closer to the people.. And I feel like I'm even farther away than before."

The old woman smiled slyly at him. "Kazekage-sama, if you don't mind me asking, have you ever had any lovely young gals?"

He blinked. This hadn't occurred to him. "I.. no."

"I think that maybe what you need is some love," the elderly woman said with a large grin. Her false teeth were completely visible.

Was this woman.. _hitting_ on him? Gaara's eye twitched as he looked at her. "I.. don't think so."

"I do," she said, smiling. "You need to find yourself a nice young gal, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara frowned some, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. He looked at the wall thoughtfully. "Who needs love.."

"You do!" the woman cackled. She poked the "love" scar on his forehead, before hopping off of her stool. "Remember, Kazekage-sama! Love makes a man stronger!"

Gaara looked after her and noticed that she never ordered anything. "Crazy old bat.." he grumbled.

**[Okay, this was just a little cute one-shot I came up with. I'm actually debating on whether or not I should turn it into a full-blown GaaSaku story, or not. I'll leave that up to you guys. Review and let me know what you think!]**


	2. Dire Need of Assistance

**[Okay, so I decided to make it a GaaSaku. I thought it'd be cute! This IS supposed to have some humor in it, and it's supposed to be cute overall. It's not dramatic, or anything. At least not for now.. Fufufufu.]**

_One of Them_

_**"Dire Need Of Assistance."**_

Gaara sighed.

Suna's Hospital was in need. There were many more patients than there were healers, and there were no medics in Suna advanced enough to teach the art of healing. What was he going to do? He needed to get the hospital back onto its feet again. He knew that teaching the art of medical ninjutsu would take time, but even beginners could heal simple things, right?

Gaara sighed again. He didn't want to let the rest of the council members know about this.. They would cause a huge scene and they'd have several meetings over it, fighting and arguing with one another and not getting anywhere. He knew it would happen.

"Izumi!" he called, and the little old man walked in the door. "Yes, Kazekage-sama?"

"Get me the translation department."

The man's face showed curiosity, but he didn't question, and left the room quickly.

Gaara laid his head on his desk, sighing. He closed his eyes. This was one of the times he wished he weren't alone. He'd gotten used to being alone, yes; but that didn't lessen the pain. He'd been alone for eighteen years. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

He ran his not-fully-formed-plan through his head. Konoha and Suna had formed a strong alliance with one another ever since Gaara became Kazekage, and he knew that the Leaf Village had a good supply of medic nin. He was hoping that the Hokage would let Suna make use of their best medic nin, and in turn supply Sand's aid in anything they might need.

He lifted his head from the desk as the door opened. Izumi followed a girl with brown hair and glasses through the door, and he shut it behind him. "Anything needed, Kazekage-sama?" asked the girl, and her voice was filled with fearful respect.

"Yes," he replied. "I need you to code a letter as soon as I'm done writing it. I want to have it sent immediately."

The girl nodded, and immediately Gaara took paper and pen and began to write.

_**Hokage,**_

_**Suna's hospital is in dire need. I request the tutelage of your finest medic nin upon the doctors here in Suna. We shall aid with anything your village requires in return.**_

_**Kazekage**_

Gaara quickly handed the paper to the girl. It wasn't very good, but it got the point across, and that's what Gaara aimed for. The girl nodded and ran out the door, paper in her hands.

"What is the letter for, if I may ask, Kazekage-sama?" Izumi asked.

Gaara glanced at the man, before setting his pen down slowly. He took a deep breath, and let it out. "Don't tell the other council members. It's urgent, but it's not a huge deal, and if they find out about it, they'll blow it out of proportion."

Izumi nodded in understanding. "Hai, Kazekage-sama."

"Well, I got a report just yesterday that our Hospital is struggling. More injured are coming in than can be helped, and our medic nin aren't specialized enough to handle some of the injuries patients have. I just sent a letter to Tsunade, Hokage of Konoha to send their best medic nin to train our own."

"Ah," Izumi said, nodding quietly. Gaara respected Izumi for the fact that he wasn't like the council members. Though he could be frumpy and pushy sometimes, Gaara's advisor was understanding and wanted what was best for the village, just like Gaara did. That was how he was different from the advisors.

Izumi soon left the room, and Gaara was alone once again. Putting a few fingers to the kanji on his forehead, he pondered what the elderly lady the day before had said.

Love.

He didn't know what love meant. It was forever embedded into the skin on his forehead, and he didn't know what it meant.

He could always look it up, or ask someone, but every person in the world would have a different definition on the subject. He knew this because they'd experienced love in different ways.

No one could give him the right definition of love. He had to make his own definition, he had to experience it himself to know what love meant.

The real question was, did he _want_ to find out what love was? Did he want to get himself into something he knew nothing about?

He didn't really know. He occasionally listened to Temari when she babbled about her social life, and he remembered her mentioning several times that love sucked. Other times he remembered hearing her rant on and on about how amazing love was. Did it really have good and bad sides?

Of course it did. Everything on the planet had a good and bad side. He himself was one of the largest examples he knew. Gaara wasn't sure, however, if he wanted to get into something that could hurt so much.

As he pondered this, he fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Tsunade, Hokage of Konohagakure no Satou in the Land of Fire, was snoring loudly, drooling onto the paperwork she was supposed to be doing at that moment. She, however, was so damn _tired _that she couldn't help but fall asleep.

Someone burst in through the door and she jerked up, yelling curses and looking around. A paper was stuck to her face, her eyes wide as she looked for intruders.

Shizune smiled sheepishly and pulled the paper from the blonde woman's face, and Tsunade mumbled a "Thanks."

"Lady Tsunade, there's a message from Suna waiting to be decoded down in the translation department." Shizune said.

"Get it decoded immediately." Tsunade ordered. "I want it sent to me as soon as it's done."

Shizune bowed. "Hai!"

Tsunade went back to her paperwork, mumbling something about the lack of sake as Shizune ran out the door.

* * *

Down in the translation department, Shizune went to the head of the department, a red-headed woman named Naoko. "Naoko-san, the Hokage ordered the letter be decoded immediately!" she said, panting from the run.

"Hai!" Naoko nodded, and left the desk, rounding up some interpreters.

Shizune watched as they gathered the translation scrolls, and set to work. They decoded each kanji, writing it on a blank scroll.

It took almost an hour to decode the damn scroll. Shizune was jerked awake, having almost fallen asleep. Naoko handed her the scroll. "Here."

Shizune took the scroll, wiped the sleep from her eyes, and ran off in the direction of the Hokage tower.

She burst in the door, and…

… Tsunade had fallen asleep, _again._

"Lady Tsunade! You're slacking off on your duties again!" Shizune yelled, exasperated.

Tsunade jerked up, looking around. "Who?! Where?! Kakashi, give me ba— ..Oh." She peeled the paper from her face and looked at Shizune innocently. "Whaaat?"

Shizune slapped her forehead.

"What's wrong? Why are you here?" Tsunade asked, suddenly serious.

"Oh!" Shizune remembered the scroll, and pulled it out of her robe. She handed it to Tsunade.

After reading the scroll, Tsunade sat back in her chair. Shizune read the look on her face. _'She's in thinking mode.'_


	3. The Kazekage of Suna

_One of Them_

_**"The Kazekage of Suna."**_

Gaara sighed, for around the fiftieth time that day. It'd been almost a week since he sent the letter to Konoha, and still he received no reply. He was getting impatient. His village was suffering because of Konoha's impudence.

He threw his pen across the room.

_'Stupid pen,' _he growled in his head. _'Ran out of ink.'_

He looked around, before sighing and turning his chair. He looked out the floor windows of his office, down onto the village streets below. He smiled some, watching the villagers going about their daily business. He was surprised at how content he was, just sitting there and watching them. Knowing that they admired him (well, most) and didn't fear even looking at him made him feel good inside. That was a feeling he hadn't felt.. ever.

It felt good.

He turned back to his desk, sighing some at the pile of papers there. They needed signing, stamping, and other various things he really didn't want to do. Just as he was about to fall asleep from boredom, Izumi burst through the door, causing the red-head to jump.

"Kazekage-sama, the Translation department has just decoded a letter from Konoha!" he said, and held up the scroll, as if to show proof.

"Hand it here." Gaara ordered, quickly composing himself and holding out his hand. Izumi went over to his desk, and handed him the scroll tenderly. Gaara quickly opened it, and his eyes scanned over the page, taking in each word.

_**Kazekage,**_

_**I have received your letter, and we'll help you in any way possible. I would come myself, since I am the best medic in Konoha, but I cannot leave the village and abandon my duties as Hokage. I have chosen Haruno Sakura, my pupil and the second-best medic in our village, to head out to Suna. By the time you receive this letter, she should be about half-way to the village. **_

_**And in turn for our help, you agreed to help us in any way we might require. I know Suna has a reputation for being fearless and ruthless in battle. Those traits, along with others, make Sand shinobi much more durable and strong than Konoha's. I wish to have one of your best fighters to come to Konoha to begin teaching techniques and values that might help our shinobi to become as strong as yours.**_

_**Tsunade**_

Gaara felt immensely relieved as he set the letter down. "Izumi," he said, glancing at the old man.

"Hai?"

"I want you to prepare a nice guest room in this tower, please. I want Haruno-san to live here comfortably. She's doing us a great service."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama!" Izumi nodded, and rushed out the door.

Gaara leaned back in his chair and sighed some, running a hand through his blood-red locks. "Haruno-san, huh..."

* * *

Sweat covered her brow, and her eyes stung as the salty water got into them. She grit her teeth and kept hurrying along, leaping through the trees at top speed. The sun was beginning to set, and she was a little over half-way to Suna. She's been travelling for two days. There was nothing she wanted more at that point than a shower. She took a sip of water from her water bottle as she leaped from branch to branch, her short pink hair fluttering in the wind. Her rosette locks hung just past her shoulders, and was always neat.

This, this was just mortifying. Her hair looked like a train wreck. She was dirty from sleeping on the ground, she smelled like arm pit, and her breath was rank. She felt absolutely disgusting.

'_Just think about a nice, hot shower..' _she reminded herself as she jumped. _'You'll get one as soon as you get in Suna, Sakura.'_

And then she had a thought. Was she prepared to let the Kazekage see her like this? _NO._

She would _insist _on a shower before meeting a man of such importance, even if it was only Sabaku no Gaara, former psychopath, schizophrenic, narcotic murder machine.

She shook her head. _'You should be ashamed of yourself, Sakura.' _She chastised herself. _'He's the _Kazekage_ now, and he obviously wouldn't be the Kazekage if he were any of the things you just said.'_

Sakura sighed. The sky was getting dark now. She found a small clearing in the forest and sat down, slipping her large pack off of her shoulders. She leaned back against a tree and closed her eyes, and before she knew it, she drifted off into sleep.

* * *

It was midnight, and Gaara couldn't fall asleep. He tossed and turned endlessly, and he tried everything to help him to go to sleep. Sleeping pills, changing the pillows, changing the sheets, changing the _bed__.._

Finally, he just threw a temper tantrum and flipped the mattress over, muttering something about "The Princess and the Damned Pea" and stalked out of his room. He glared at the walls as he passed by, daring them to try and do something.

After a few minutes of sulking, he went back to his room, righted the bed, and decided to try again. Laying back on the bed, closing his eyes, he tried to go to sleep.

He began tossing and turning all over again.

Finally, he just muttered, "Screw it," and laid back, staring at the ceiling.

It was only at around nine o' clock in the morning that there came a knock on Gaara's door. He sighed wearily and hauled himself out of his damned bed, and slouched over to the door. He threw it open, glaring murderously at the "intruder".

Izumi was standing there, gulping fearfully. He knew what happened when people woke Gaara up.

He was a raging monster.

"K-Kazekage-sama," Izumi muttered weakly.

Gaara's face was dark. "What?"

"T-The council members want to meet with you.."

"What?!" Gaara's eyes turned into slits. "Did you tell them?!"

"N-No!" Izumi's eyes widened and the old man teetered backwards in fright. "I promise, Kazekage-sama.. Someone else must have told them, someone from the translation department.."

Gaara blinked. He hadn't thought of that.

"I want our best interrogation squad on the workers at the translation department, _now." _Gaara ordered, and even he himself was surprised at how authoritative he sounded.

"H-Hai, sir!" Izumi scrambled out of the doorway, and Gaara pulled a shirt on, and hurried to don his Kazekage robes. He hated the damn things.. All the stupid strings and buttons he had to tie and fasten.. It was ridiculous.

He grumbled the entire time he put it on. As soon as he did, he stormed out of his room, making his way down the hall, and down the stairs to the floor below. He burst into the meeting room, his face cold as he looked around at all the men gathered at the table. They immediately stopped talking and looked at him, faces slightly surprised.

"Kazekage," one man said. "Are you alright?"

Gaara ignored him, striding to the front of the table. He set his palms flat on the table, his fiery sea-green eyes looking around at all the men. His eyes narrowed. "Who told you about the Hospital's status?"

None of the men answered.

"Who told you?!" he growled, gritting his teeth. Gaara had always had a short temper, and even with Shukaku gone, his temper hadn't gotten much better.

"What are you talking about, Kazekage-sama?" one asked, though the same look was plastered onto each man's face: an ulterior motif.

Gaara closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself down. He then opened his eyes and looked at them all calmly. "There will be no discussion on the situation of the Hospital. I already have that matter completely taken care of." He said calmly, but his undertone was dripping with poison.

They all stared at him. Then Kouta, a rather large but amiable member of the council, stood up. "What did you do to take care of the situation, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara's gaze shifted to the man. "I sent a letter to Konoha, requesting the presence of one of their finest medics. You all know as well as I that Konoha has a large medic program, and they could help our hospital greatly. In return for their services, I've offered Suna's aid in anything they might need. I got a letter from the Hokage that they'd like one of our best fighters to go to Konoha and train their ninja in the ways of Suna."

"But.. who would go?" Another man asked. "And, I don't like the idea of our village's ideals being taught to another village!"

"Yes, that's down-right outrageous!" Another declared. Many murmurs of agreement were heard, and their voices began rising in protest.

Gaara had had enough.

He slammed his palms down on the table so hard the table almost flipped over. "STOP IT!" he yelled.

They were completely silent.

"Konoha is our ALLY! I respect their Hokage, I respect their village. I expect you all to do the same. _I _am the Kazekage, you all are not. I may be young, but I _do _know what I'm doing."

"But—" one began, but Gaara raised a hand, eyes closed.

"This meeting is over."


	4. The Crazy Old Bat, AGAIN

_One of Them_

_**"The Crazy Old Bat, AGAIN."**_

Izumi went to say something as Gaara left the conference room, but the red-head just plowed him right over. Gaara left no room for anyone to give any kind of protest. He knew that what he was doing was right. He didn't need discussion; he needed action. Where was that Haruno girl anyways? He grumbled as he stalked up the stairs. He pulled at the strings of the Kazekage robe along the way, and he walked in the door to his room with the full intent of going to sleep.

So with that, he slid out of his robes(after a tad bit of difficulty with getting it untied), and hopped in his bed, falling into a fitful sleep.

* * *

He awoke sometime after noon, and decided he should get to work, or he'd be doing papers through the entire night. He sighed, slipping some clothes on, forgoing the Kazekage robe. He didn't like it. It was hot and stuffy.

Once he got into his office, he decided he should probably write a letter to Tsunade, informing her of who he was sending to Konoha. He got out pen and paper.

_**Hokage,**_

_**I have decided to send Sabaku no Kankuro, my brother, to Konoha in order to strengthen your shinobi. Kankuro is one of our best fighters and knows Suna's customs by heart. He will do a fine job.**_

_**Gaara**_

Gaara felt kind of.. awkward writing his name. He didn't really know whether he should put 'Gaara' or 'Kazekage'. He felt too snooty when writing Kazekage, but felt too personal writing Gaara. Should he just write 'Sabaku'? No, that would sound too odd. Well, what about 'Sunean'? No, that's just weird..

Gaara shook his head. Overthinking things again.. He sighed, grabbing his hair. Wouldn't life be so much easier if he didn't overthink things? It gave him headaches.. And even though the Shukaku made his head ache when Gaara was still a Jinchuuriki, his thinking process made his head hurt all the more.

After calling Izumi and handing the letter to him, Gaara walked to the door.

"Where are you going, Kazekage-sama?" Izumi asked, but paused at the look Gaara gave him. He only stared after the broody young man.

Gaara walked along the streets of Konoha, and saw the same children playing ball on the street. It was unusually hot out; they were sharing some water on the side of the street at the moment. He spotted the same dirty-haired girl with bright blue eyes among the others in the group.

When the children saw Gaara, they giggled and crowded around him. "Want to play ball with us, Kazekage-sama?" one of them asked.

"I-I don't know how," Gaara admitted, embarrassed. The children didn't look at him like he was stupid, or walk away in disgust. They merely smiled.

"We'll teach you, Kazekage-sama!" one of them laughed. Then the children set up the ball on the street.

Gaara learned that the object of the game was to get it past the people on the other side. Simple enough, he thought. And so when the game began, Gaara was on the left team, and the other team was on the right. The little kids began kicking the ball around, and when the ball came to him, he kicked hard, and the ball went crashing into the window of a shop. Gaara winced slightly, knowing that had probably done some damage.

The kids went into a fit of giggles as the man who owned the store came out, waving a rolling pin around. "You da-- O-Oh, Kazekage-sama!"

Gaara folded his arms over his chest. "I was the one who kicked the ball, not them," he said emotionlessly. "Here, this should pay for it."

Gaara handed the man a small sack of coins, and retreived the ball from the shop, handing it back to the children. "I don't think I should play anymore," he said, slightly sheepishly.

"Oh, come oooon, Kazekage-sama! That was the funniest thing I've ever seen!" one of the kids grinned. The rest agreed, delighted chatter rippling through them.

And so, Gaara finally gave in to the kid's begging, and played ball with them for another hour. After a while, he walked away, giving the children a quick goodbye.

He smiled slightly to himself, having actually had _fun _playing those childish games. Could it be that the most simple things in life can also be the most rewarding? Like, having a child, for instance. It may be a mess to take care of in its early years(not that Gaara would know), but in the end, if your child succeeds in life, you feel a sense of accomplishment. And it's worth all of the shit you put up with in the earlier years.

Gaara found himself standing in front of a little food shop. He slipped in, and ordered a small platter, sitting on a stool.

He looked over when he felt someone seat themselves on the stool beside him.

"Hello there, young man."the old woman cackled.

Gaara's eye twitched. "What do _you _want?"

She grinned toothlessly at him. "Found yourself a nice gal yet?"

_"No." _Gaara growled lowly, frowning agitatedly at her.

"Well you should," the woman said, before grabbing her cane up.

And then she did something no one had ever done to Gaara and survived to tell the tale.

She bonked him on the head with her cane, leaving a nice, large red welp.

Gaara hissed in pain and held his head tenderly, shooting her a furious glare. "What the hell was that for?!"

"For not doing as I said." the woman said matter-of-factly.

_Just who did this old dustbag think she was?_

Gaara was about to give her a piece of his mind until the chef placed his order on the counter before him. He'd turned around to grab some chopsticks, and by the time he turned back to chew her head off, she was gone.

"She must have Alzheimer's or something.." he mumbled.

* * *

She tried singing to herself to keep her from getting bored. That didn't really work. She also tried doing something with her hands as she leaped along. That didn't work either. She needed something to do, because even though she was moving, her mind had absolutely nothing to focus on. It was getting tired, too. Very tired.

When she stopped to make camp for the night, she didn't even properly lay down before she fell asleep, breathing evening as her chest rose and fell slowly.


	5. Enter Haruno Sakura

_One of Them_

_**"Enter Haruno Sakura."**_

She'd woken early in the morning, around four AM or so, unable to sleep. She had a mission to complete, and when she was in danger of not completing it, she couldn't sleep. She had no choice but to haul herself to her feet and get moving.

Her bones ached, joints stiff from her sleeping position. She popped her knuckles, her kneck, her arms, her wrists.. she felt slightly better, but the morning air was cold, and she was terribly tired. She had trouble keeping herself awake as she leapt through the trees.

Finally, she was at the edge of the desert. She looked around, and it was nothing but sand for miles. She knew it would be at least a few more hours before she reached Suna, even at top-speed.

So, with a sigh to herself, she bent forward, and dashed across the sand.

* * *

Gaara sat in his office, doing papers while Izumi chattered idly about upcoming events and celebrations that they should make preparations for. He sighed, mostly tuning out the old fart's blabbering, and tapped his pen against his desk. He thought about killing the man so many times.. Just wringing his old neck while jacking off...

_'Stop it, Gaara,' _he thought to himself. _'You're having sadistic thoughts again..'_

He shook his head, grabbed a blank piece of paper off his desk, and crumbled it into a ball. Squinting one eye to aim, he chucked the paper ball at the back of Izumi's head.

When the old man let out a yelp of surprise, Gaara quickly turned his head and acted like he was focusing on something else. Izumi scowled. "Kazekage-sama, are you even listening?"

"Yeah, yeah," Gaara said lazily. "Something about.. party.."

Izumi huffed, and stomped out, clipboard clutched in his hand. Gaara stared after him indifferently.

_'I guess I know what to get him for Christmas, then,' _he thought.

"Midol—"

"Kazekage-sama," Izumi opened the door again, rushing in. "Someone's he—"

Gaara only caught a flash of red, and suddenly, someone was before him, panting and completely out-of breath.

"I'm.. here," she breathed, trembling, "Reporting for.. du.. ty.."

Before Gaara could blink again, she collapsed. He looked down.

There in his arms was a passed-out Haruno Sakura.

**[Alright, that's it! ... Just kidding.]**

God, if he hadn't known better, he would have thought it was an angel in his arms, not Haruno.

He stared down at her for a moment, just standing there. Her face was rosy from all of her running, and she had a few scratches on her arms and face (probably from tripping on the sand). She looked absolutely breath-taking, even as dirty as she was. Her pink hair was ragged, and had a few leaves in it, but was soft as it rested on his arm.

He finally tore his gaze from her face long enough to look at Izumi. "Prepare a room on the upper floor," he said, and easily hauled the light-weight girl into his sturdy arms. He sighed, thinking about how troublesome women were, and followed the old man down the hallway and up the stairs. He kept Sakura's face in his peripheral vision, occasionally glancing at her.

Once Izumi got a gues room unlocked and set, Gaara set the roseate on the bed, and turned and walked out of the room.

"Izumi, I want you to tell her to come see me when she decides to wake up." Gaara said as he walked by the old man and out the door.

* * *

As Gaara walked the streets of Suna, conveniently forgetting about his paperwork, and suddenly he looked around cautiously.

Was he going to meet that crazy old woman again? Was she stalking him? His eyes darted from place to place, looking to see if she was there. He knew better than to go into any restaurants or food shops. It seemed she showed up every time he was there.

He settled for going into a book shop. It smelled of old paper and coffee inside. It made him feel weird, but in a good way. He began browsing shelves absent-mindedly, returning the cheery wave from the cashier at the front.

And he bumped into just who he was trying to avoid.

"Having a good day, Kazekage-sama?" the old woman grinned. Gaara wanted to punch her.

"Yes." He grit his teeth.

"I have a few lovely ladies I think you'd like."

"No, thanks." He glanced at her, irritated.

She didn't take the hint. "Why not? You need a gi—"

"I'm interested in someone already!" he blurted, growling at her.

.. Wait. Did he just say what he thought he said?

He did.

But.. why was Sakura in his mind when he said it? She was beyong beautiful, sure, but he didn't know her at all. The last time he saw her was at Chiyo's funeral, around three years ago. He knew there was no such thing as love at first sight. That was completely impossible. Maybe _lust _at first sight, but not love.

"Ahh… Who is she?" the old woman cackled.

"I'm not telling," Gaara frowned, and inwardly smacked himself at the fact that he sounded like a child when he said that.

"So be it, Kazekage-sama," the old woman said.

Then she bopped him on the head with her cane.

He growled at her, rubbing the fresh red welp atop his head, and she walked away, cackling.

**[So, what do you guys think so far? Is it good? No? Should I quit with the lame comedy? Lol. Anyways, PLEASE.. There's a little "Review" button down there for a reason. REVIEW! Constructive criticism is appreciated!]**


	6. Shower Time

_One of Them_

_**"Shower Time."**_

Sakura awoke, and had no idea where she was. She jerked up, then realized she was in a rather soft bed. She looked around, and saw a simple yet elegant room, decorated in red and silver. She smiled some, looking out the window.

She was in Suna. She was too tired the day before to recount whether she'd actually gotten there or not. Apparently, she had.

She racked her brain, trying to remember what exactly happened.

She ran, ran.. got to the Kazekage tower… Stumbled up the steps… And landed in Gaara's arms.

She smacked her forehead. She'd collapsed on the _Kazekage?! _She was an idiot. A complete, total idiot.

She got out of the bed, looking around, before padding to the door. She was still in the clothes she'd arrived in Suna in, and as she noticed this, her first thought was: _'Oh my God.. I ruined that perfect bed.. And ugh, I stink!!'_

She opened the door to find an old man snoring in a chair next to the door. She blinked, and apparently the opening of the door had awakened him, because he snorted and looked around, before noticing her. "Ah, Miss Haruno!" he exclaimed, quickly standing. "I hope you've rested well, maids will come and clean and make up the bed. The Kazekage wishes to see you, however."

Sakura's face turned red and she shook her head. "I'd very much like to shower first.." she mumbled, averting her eyes.

The man blinked, before nodding. "Absolutely! I'll have a maid bring up some spare clothes, and you'll find towels and everything you need in the bathrooms."

Just as Sakura was about to ask where exactly the bathrooms _were, _he pointed down a hall to their left. "The door to the bathrooms is the last one on the left," he said with an over-enthusiastic smile. "I'll be right here when you're done. The set of clothes will be in your room."

Sakura nodded, smiling politely. "Thank you, very much."

Then, she padded down to the bathrooms. Getting to the door, the man had referred to, she stopped, confused. There weren't any gender signs on it. Did the males and females.. _share _the bathrooms? Sakura winced. _'Ugh.. I can tell something embarrassing's going to happen during my stay here..'_

She gulped, opening the door, hoping no one was in the bathrooms, whether it be male or female. She looked around the room, closing the door behind her. The lack of a lock agitated her more.

The walls were tiled, with smooth black tiles, white lines running in between each tile. There was stalls along the right wall, and sinks and mirrors on the left. There were two large full-body mirrors on the walls on each side of the door. Sakura peered around, looking for the showers. She then saw the little hallway in between the mirrors on the left and a wall that was in between the stalls and the sinks. Sakura walked towards it, and into the opening, turning to the left. There were five large shower stalls, and a cornucopia shampoos, conditioners, soaps, lotions, perfumes, and accessories scattered all over a counter at the opposite end of the room.

Sakura's eyes lit up at all of the products to choose from. There were a few male products as well, but most were meant for females. She browsed the items, before choosing a shampoo bottle that said "Brown Sugar and Fig", and found the matching conditioner and body wash. She found the smell intoxicating, and sighed happily. She set the products in the stall, and began taking her clothes off. She began with her boots. The marble floor felt cool and smooth under her toes. Her shirt, shorts, bra, and medic skirt joined her shoes on the floor, a dirty pile. She frowned in disdain at the stained, filthy garments, and stepped into the stall. She sighed in relaxation when she turned the hot water on, feeling it wash over her skin, relaxing her stiff muscles, sore from overexertion.

She shampooed her hair, then conditioned it, happy to smell the strong scent of the soap. She quickly washed herself off, rinsing out her pink hair. She then just stood under the water, sighing again as the water rained down on her back.

Happy that no one had interrupted her shower, she turned off the water, wiping her face with her hands, and stepped out of the shower. After finding the towels, which happened to be in the cabinet below all of the shampoos and other things, she dried off, then wrapped the towel around herself. She put the shampoo, conditioner and body wash back where she got them from, and grabbed her clothes before returning to the main bathrooms by way of the tiny little hall. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She saw her tiny little body, wrapped up in a white fluffy towel down to her mid-thigh, and her hair dripping wet and handing over her forehead.

She wrinkled her nose, and walked out into the hallways after looking around to see if anyone was out there. She crept to her room, and saw that the old man wasn't anywhere to be seen. She sighed in relief. She didn't want some old geezer looking at her in a skimpy towel.

She opened the door to her "new room", and smiled when she saw the bed perfectly made. The sheets and blanket were black, letting her know the bed was clean. A set of clothes laid on the bed, and she smiled wider. She liked having things done for her like this; it felt nice not to have to do everything herself.

Dropping her dirty clothes on the floor beside the door, she went over to the clothes and quickly put them on. Every article of clothing was black.. Not that she really minded. She was now donning baggy black shorts that came to the knees, and and a black tank-top that hung just above her belly-button.

She scowled, trying to pull the shirt down, but only ended up stretching the shirt and showing more cleavage. She sighed, looking down at it. Though she had nothing to be ashamed of, she had a policy for being modest, and this top was definitely _not _modest. She shook her head, and knew that there wasn't anything else to wear.

"Whatever," she sighed, and left the room.

* * *

When she opened the door to the room, Izumi was standing out in the hall, waiting for her. "Ready, Miss Haruno?" he asked, smiling.

Deciding not to question him on where he was before, she nodded. "Yes."

She followed him down a hall, and a set of stairs. A total of sixteen stairs, she counted. He then turned down another hallway, and finally stopped at a door on the right. He knocked, and Sakura heard a faint, "Enter."

The man opened the door, and Sakura's breath hitched in her throat when she saw the boy at the desk.

Or rather, _man _at the desk.

She was grateful that her cheeks didn't turn pink as she followed the old man into the room.

"Hello, Izumi," Gaara greeted in a business-like tone, before his piercing eyes switched to Sakura. "Hello, Haruno-san."

Sakura bowed slightly. "Kazekage-sama."

Gaara stood from his desk. "Izumi, leave us."

The old man nodded and hobbled out the door, shutting it behind him.

"So, Haruno-san.. I'm assuming your Hokage told you why you're here."

Sakura nodded. "She said I was to train medic nin and help out at the hospital until it can function on its own."

"Good." Gaara nodded approvingly. "I originally assigned someone to give you a tour of the village, but I need to get out on the streets.. this paperwork bores me."

Sakura laughed, but it slowly died down when Gaara didn't laugh. He told a joke, didn't he? He was trying to be funny, wasn't he? She inwardly sighed.

"Alright, that sounds fine." She said, forcing a smile.

Gaara folded his arms over his chest. "Come with me, then."


	7. This is NOT a Date

_One of Them_

**_"This is NOT a Date, Under Any Circumstances."_**

They walked along the sandy streets of Suna. It was silent except for when Gaara occasionally pointed out a sight or building of importance. Sakura looked around, and didn't pay much attention to the man beside her.

Nor did she notice the looks they were getting. The women glanced at each other secretively, the men raised their eyebrows, and somepeople even stopped what they were doing to stare.

Gaara _did _notice the attention, and knew what they were thinking. But did he want rumors like that floating around his village?

He thought about it for a moment, and surprisingly..he didn't mind all too much. Itdid bother him slightly.. Would they think of him as weak if he were seen with a woman? If they thought he was in love? Would they want a new Kazekage? Would they not look up to him anymore?

If things changed.. he didn't know what would happen to him. He was _afraid _of what he might do. Would he go crazy again? He thought so. This position, this responsibility he had was what really kept him sane.

"And there," he commented lowly, pointing to a large building, "Is the hospital, where you'll be working."

"Right." Sakura nodded, glancing at him.

"Anything else you'd like to see?" Gaara asked boredly.

"No, I'm fine," Sakura said with a polite smile. "Thank you for showing me around, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara nodded stiffly, trying not to give the villagers _any _reason to think that Haruno and himself were in any kind of relationship whatsoever. The only thing that he didn't like about that plan was that he seemed to be deterring her. Her smiles were civil and forced, as if she really didn't want to be near him.

He waited until they'd gotten back to the Kazekage's office, before turning to her. "I'm sorry, if I seem rude," he said calmly, looking at her blankly.

She blinked, seeming surprised. "I, uh.. It's okay."

He averted his eyes for a moment, before looking back at her. "You have the rest of today off.. Tomorrow you'll report to the hospital, eight AM sharp."

Sakura nodded quietly, standing at attention.

"I have paperwork to do," he said quietly, before sitting at his desk. "Just knock if you need anything."

Sakura nodded again, flashing him a small, but genuine smile before going out the door, closing it behind her.

* * *

Gaara was half-asleep, drool dripping onto the papers his head laid on. When there came a knock on the door, he jerked up, removed the paper from his face, wiped the drool from his lip, and cleared his throat. "Come in," he said stoically.

Izumi poked his head in the door.

"Izumi," Gaara nodded in recognition. "What do you need?"

The old man hobbled in, closing the door behind him, clipboard in hand. "Kazekage-sama, Kankuro-san is ready to depart for Konoha."

"Bring him in." Gaara replied.

Kankuro came in the door, smiling smugly at the red-head. "Hey, little bro."

"Hey." Gaara let the smallest of smirks grace his face.

"I'll make the village proud." He said, and Gaara nodded.

"I know you will."

That was all Kankuro needed. He gave a genuine smile to his brother, before heading out the door, Crow wrapped up on his back.

* * *

Gaara was bent over his paperwork, stamping his seal and signing his name on paper after paper. The sun was setting, tendrils of red and orange light still sifting through the window. It illuminated the Kazekage's office, making the blood-red hair on Gaara's head luminescent. There was a crease in his forehead from concentration, and his sea-green eyes were narrowed on the papers below him. His posture was authoritative yet tired, his hands moving relentlessly, stamping, writing.

This was the sight Sakura saw when she poked her head in the door.

And surprisingly, he looked breath-takingly beautiful. She couldn't hide the blush coming to her face as she stared at him. It took a minute for him to notice her.

"You've been staring at me for the past five minutes."

Well, it took him a minute to _say something._

"I-I uhm.." Sakura was dismayed when she stumbled over her words, spluttering and turning redder. "I-I was just noticing the.. sunset, it's very b-beautiful."

"Did you need something?" He asked, finally tearing his gaze from the papers, looking at her.

"I-I uhm, was just going to get something to eat, and was wondering if.. you wanted to come with, or I could bring you back something.." she mumbled, looking away shyly. Sakura knew she was being audacious by asking him such a question when she hardly knew him, but when the thought crossed her mind, she couldn't shove it away. She just hoped the red-head didn't think she was being nice because she _liked _him or anything.

'_Does she like me or something? I mean, we don't even really know each other..' _he thought, raising what would be an eyebrow. _'I really shouldn't.. But I am kinda hungry.. And she looks so pretty, and..'_

His mouth opened and words spouted out before he realized what he was saying.

"Alright, I'll go."

Sakura looked up at him in surprise, and by the time she got her mouth to move properly, he was already standing and making his way over to her.

"R-Really? I mean.. Alright, where do you want to go?"

"It doesn't matter." He replied coolly, arms folded over his chest. After a moment, he paused, and went back to the door of his office. "Wait a moment."

Within seconds, his Kazekage robes were on the chair beside the door on the inside of his office, and he donned his usual outfit, the red one with the vest-like garment covering his stomach. Sakura stared.

Since when did he look so _good? _

She looked away before he could ask her what she was looking at, and began making her way down the stairs. Gaara followed at a leisurely pace behind her. He enjoyed the view he was getting of her nice, round bottom, moving left and right with her motions. He knew she couldn't see him, so he was free to stare all he wanted. The way her hips swayed hypnotized him; her light pink tresses bounced, the ends brushing along her shoulders with each step. Her slender legs moved back and forth, the boots making them look even sexier, and he could see a bit of her thighs just below her—

What was that tantalizing smell..? He discreetly leaned forward, sniffing at her hair. A strong, yet not overpowering aroma filled his nostrils, addicting and sweet, warm and fuzzy. _What did she use? Does she bathe in some kind of drug?_

Gaara shook his head, wrinkling his nose and looking away. He held the door open as she walked through, and he walked out after her.

As they walked along Suna's streets yet again, Gaara suddenly said, "This is _not _a date, any _kind _of date, under any circumstances."

He didn't really know why he said it; his first reasoning was that he just wanted to make it clear that their relationship was strictly _formal. _He didn't even want her to consider them friends. She was merely being polite, and so was he.

"I didn't say it was." She blinked, and he looked at her, barely managing to hide his bafflement.

"Good," he managed not to stutter; his mind was racing. What did that mean? Did she not consider them friends, did she not feel anything? Why did he care if she did? Didn't he only want to have a formal relationship? Why was he thinking so hard?

Gaara inwardly sighed. His mind was being overactive again. Why couldn't he stop thinking for just one second?!

'_Because you'll trip and fall on your ass if you do.' _His mind snorted.

Gaara, being competitive, retorted, _**'Oh yeah?! Watch me.'**_

He immediately shut his mind down and let his head become completely blank.

* * *

"Uhm.. Kazekage-sama, you okay?"

Gaara's eyes drifted open to see Sakura's face hovering over his, concerned.

"What happened?" Gaara jerked up, and ended up hitting her in the forehead.

"Ow!"she winced, rubbing the tender place.

"Gomen," the red-head muttered, looking away. She backed up some, and he fully sat up. He noticed all the villagers looking at him oddly. He could see their thoughts written all over their faces: _'What the hell happened to him?'_

He frowned. He was actually wondering the same thing.

"..What happened?" he asked Sakura lowly, and she answered:

"You tripped and landed on your back."

'_See, I told you. You'd trip and fall on your ass.'_

'_**Oh, shut the hell up. She said I fell on my **_**back, **_**not my ass, so you were wrong anyways.'**_

'_Oh, whatever. It's not like I'm a psychic or anything.'_

'_**Damn right you aren't.'**_

He paused.

Was he.. schizophrenic?

Was he crazy..? Did he need to visit the looney bin?

'_Yep, you're crazy.'_

'_**I don't need you to tell me that. So shut the hell up.'**_

'_Oooh, touchy.'_


	8. The Old Bat Strikes Again

_One of Them._

**_"The Old Bat Strikes Again."_**

After Gaara had picked his body(and dignity) up off of the ground, Sakura led him to a quaint little café. Gaara was surprised; he didn't even know the little joint existed. Still, the coffee smell soothed him, and he liked all the earthy browns and greens that high-lighted the room. Sakura sat down in a little booth made for two, and he sat across from her. He let his eyes wander the room, and excuse for not having to look at her.

"The work is boring, I know."

Gaara looked at her, eyes narrowing. "How would you know that?"

"Tsunade-shishou makes me help her with her paper-work all the time," Sakura replied with a smile. "She says it helps me with mental training, but I think it's just an excuse to get me to help her get off work early."

"I thought you worked at the hospital?" Gaara questioned.

"I do, but in my spare time I train and help shishou out." Sakura's smile faded slightly. "Sometimes it gets so tiring, so.. boring."

"Being the Kazekage's difficult, I'm sure the Hokage position's the same way." Gaara said, looking out the window into the red-orange sky. "Naruto has no idea what he's in for. Being the leader of the village isn't all it's cracked up to be. Naruto thinks being Hokage, you get all these fights and exciting things to do, but he's got to realize.. You only get to fight when something endangers the village directly. You can't go on missions because you have to stay in the village to make sure it's safe, and most of the time, it's peaceful. The lower-rank shinobi take care of all the minor threats. Since Deidara of the Akatsuki attacked the village, I haven't had a real battle at all."

Sakura stared at him. He finally looked at her, and she had a small smile plastered across her face. "That's the most I've ever heard you talk."

Gaara blinked. What was she talking about? He didn't say anything.

"So Kazekage-sama—"

"Call me Gaara," Gaara said, slightly annoyed. He hated being called by his position in the village instead of by his name. It made him feel alienated.

"O-Oh— Sorry.. Gaara." Sakura said slowly, as if testing out the way his name sounded when she said it.

He liked the way she said his name. She said it as if she took it into careful consideration, as if it were something important. He wondered how her name sounded when he said it..

"Sakura," he said slowly. He liked the way the 'r' reverberated off of his tongue. Her name was truly beautiful. It looked beautiful, it sounded beautiful. It matched her completely.

She began talking about something as they waited for a waitress to come and take their orders; he wasn't listening. He watched the way her plump pink lips moved so delicately as she talked. She watched as her tongue moved to make the proper sounds so her words came out efficiently. He thought of the ways he could bruise those tender lips with his own.. Turn the innocent pink to black and blue..

He shook his head, breaking him of his sadistic thoughts, and blinked.

"Are you listening?"

Those three words reminded Gaara of all the times Temari would be babbling about something to him and he would be zoned out. She'd say the exact same thing to him every time.

"No, I'm sorry," he said. He hated the way it sounded so blunt and insincere, but.. it was him. "Repeat?" he added, to be nice.

"I was talking about how I wondered what Suna's hospital was like.." Sakura said, looking at him. "Would I be working there, or just teaching medics..?"

Gaara looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm.. not sure. I left that for the medics at the hospital to decide."

"Oh.." Sakura was about to say something else when the waitress came up.

"Good Evening, Kazekage-sama!" she said cheerfully, pulling out a pad. "What can I get for you two?"

"Uhm, I'll just take the gizzards." Gaara said, and Sakura ordered shrimp.

Gaara saw something out of the corner of his eye.

_Oh no. _

_Oh no no no no.._

_Not her.. _

Gaara grabbed a menu from the table, and opened it, setting it up to cover their faces. He leaned forward, and grabbed her by the back of the neck, jerking her forward too. He didn't give it a second thought until their faces were mere inches apart. Sakura's eyes were wide, her porcelain cheeks tinging a light pink. Gaara felt his own face heat up, and and looked at her anxiously, hoping she didn't take his actions the wrong way.

"G-Gaara-san.. What are you doing?" she whispered. Her breath fell on his face. It smelled like mints. He shivered, hoping she didn't notice it. She wasn't supposed to be having this affect on him..

"Just keep your face hidden," he replied in a hushed, almost annoyed voice.

"W-Why? Something wrong? Someone watching?" she tried lifting her head to peek above the menu, but he jerked her face back down.

"No no no, don't move," he hissed at her.

The menu left.

Gaara immediately let go of Sakura, and his face paled.

It was the old hag that kept pestering him every day.

_Great. Just fucking great._

"_You," _Gaara muttered through gritted teeth.

She cackled. "I see you've found a lady! And a lovely one too, heheh!"

Gaara rolled his eyes. "She's not my _lady. _She's a medic nin from Konoha sent to help out at the hospital." He didn't even know why he was explaining himself to her.

"Looks like you two are on a date to me!" she grinned widely. "All huddled behind this little menu here.." she waved it in a bony, pale hand.

Gaara's forehead pulled together in a scowl. "We're not on a date. She offered dinner and I was hungry."

"Yeah," Sakura piped in, and Gaara could tell she was annoyed too. "We're just acquaintances."

Suddenly, something hard came in contact with Gaara's head.

She'd hit him in the head with her cane, _again._

This time, she hit Sakura on the head as well, and grabbed their hands, pushing them together. "Couples hold hands! Stop acting so shy!"

Fire rushed through Gaara's veins when his hand touched hers. The old woman intertwined their fingers, and Gaara's eyes widened at the hot and cold sensation washing over his body. His heart hammered in his chest as sparks seemed to fly from his fingertips.

_What the hell was this?_

He jerked his hand back as soon as the old woman was out of sight, as if he'd been burned. He put his hands in his lap.

Sakura's face looked slightly crest-fallen, but she did a pretty good job of hiding it, retracting her hand as well.

"That old bat keeps bugging me," Gaara said agitatedly, explaining himself to the roseate. "She pesters me all the time about 'finding a girl' and 'getting some love'.. all that nonsense." He rolled his eyes.

Sakura leaned forward slightly. "Love is a powerful thing, Gaara."

His eyes narrowed on her intently, and he leaned forward as well. "Tell me what you think love is."


	9. Oops, I Didn't Know You Were In There!

_One of Them_

"_**Oops, I didn't know you were in there! Seriously!"**_

Sakura hesitated. "What I think.. love is?"

Gaara nodded, eyes locked on her.

She looked out the window, her face suddenly distant. "Love.." She set her chin in her palm, elbow on the table, head turned. "Love is.. where you know someone, and.." She seemed to choose her words carefully.

Gaara watched her face very intently. He watched every small expression she made. Hurt, pain flashed across her face.. loneliness. He knew what loneliness was, all too well.

"You can trust that someone with your life.."

'_Can't trust us.'_

"You think they're the most attractive person in the world, even if they're not physically attractive.."

'_We're not either of those.'_

"You never get bored with that person.."

'_And here we are, sitting here.. bored.'_

"You laugh with them.. not afraid to share your feelings with them.."

'_She laughed _once _with me and immediately got shot down.'_

"You're not afraid to let them see you cry.."

'_If she cried I'd smack her.'_

"And there's that..Chemistry."

'_We don… Wait, what? Chemistry..?'_

"What do you mean by that?" Gaara asked.

Sakura turned her jade gaze on him. "Chemistry is.. when you touch that special someone.. it feels like fireworks go off. Like electricity runs down your spine."

Gaara's forehead pulled together. _'We definitely felt that…'_

".. What do _you _think love is?" Sakura asked.

Gaara pointed to the scar on his forehead. "The closest thing I've ever come to love, or figuring out what it is, is _this."_

Sakura looked away. ".. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Gaara let his hand fall to rest on the table. He was glad the waitress came to set down their food, because the silence would have gotten awkward.

"Here you are! Gizzards and a shrimp platter! What would you like to drink?" the waitress asked with a bright smile.

"_I'll have green tea."_

Gaara and Sakura looked at each other in agitated confusion when they'd both said 'green tea' at the same time. The waitress giggled, gave Sakura a knowing wink, and hurried off to get their orders.

Sakura huffed, looking back out the window.

"..You were thinking of Uchiha when you described love." Gaara said. He didn't put it in the form of a question; he knew what the answer would be.

Sakura turned her head to look at him, and he was surprised to find tears about to brim over her lower eyelids. Her plump lower lip was slightly puckered.

_Why the hell _didn't he feel the urge to smack her?

Maybe he'd softened up a bit more than he thought..

She didn't answer; she didn't have to. Gaara's body reacted out of instinct and he reached a hand up to her face, about to smack her when..

His hand rest on her cheek, wiping a tear away.

Her eyes widened and she stared at him, face a light pink color as the tears continued to fall. Her mouth was ajar, in a sort of small gape. Gaara's forehead pulled together in a small frown.

"Don't cry.." he murmured. ".. It makes you weak."

Sakura frowned, but did not move. "Crying isn't.."

She looked away. She couldn't say crying wasn't weak. She remembered vowing never to cry again; it didn't solve anything. She knew she cried too much, back as a genin. And she hadn't cried very often since.

"It's weak," Gaara murmured softly. "And I know you're not."

Sakura's breath hitched in her throat when his thumb trailed from her cheek to rest on her lower lip. She looked at him in shock, and after a few moments he pulled his hand away.

The waitress brought them their drinks and they ate in silence.

* * *

Sakura was rudely awakened by the alarm clock that rested by her nicely furnished bed. The bright red numbers on the screen said it was six o' clock.

"Ugh.." Sakura mumbled, slowly pulling the sheets back and slipping out of bed. The only thing that lifted her tired body out of the bed was the fact that she could wash in that relaxing brown sugar and fig shampoo. She padded to the door, and after sticking her head out of it to see if anyone was there, she found that the halls were empty and she slipped out the door. She made her way to the bathrooms, remembering easily where the old man, Izumi, had shown her the day before, and when she got there, she opened the door.

Her eyes widened when she heard another shower running. _'Oh no,' _her mind screamed. _'Oh, no no no no.. I wanted to be alone..'_

She bit her lip, and wish she had a clock to look at. She didn't know how long this person was going to be in the shower, and she knew it took at least twenty minutes to walk to the hospital, and she wanted to get some breakfast first..

She _really _didn't have time to wait.

'_Oh well,' _she sighed inwardly. _'Guess I'll just have to keep to myself..'_

She went to the shower room, and went down to the cabinet on the end. She got her favorite shampoo and wash, and quickly got in the shower nearest to her. She quickly undressed and started the water by turning the knobs until it got to the right temperature. She moved her clothes outside of the stall so they wouldn't get wet without a second thought.

She immediately got to work on washing her hair with the relaxing scent of the shampoo, and enjoyed the way the hot water pelted her body with thick, heavy droplets. She sighed in contentment.

She paused, eyes popping open. She began straining her ears. What was that sound? Was it.. singing?

A soft, yet deep and husky male voice drifted into her ears. So it was a _guy _in the other stall?! She wondered who it was.. a voice like that.. it was the voice of an angel.

She closed her eyes, letting the soft voice lull her. She was very sleepy. The combination of the soothing voice and the hot, steamy water made her feel like complete and total mush.

However, no matter how relaxed she felt, she quickly finished cleaning herself. She was about to turn the water off when she heard the other shower shut off. She heard the rustling of a towel, the stall opening..

_Towel._

She forgot to get one.

'_Aw, SHIT..' _she muttered to herself. _'Sakura, you are a stupid baka..'_

She turned the water off.

Sabaku no Gaara was wrapping the towel about his waist when he saw clothing on the floor. Most of it was black, except for a pink.. _thong?_

_Was that a thong?_

Who did it belong to? _'Well, who else, dumbass?' _his mind snickered.

'_**It can't be Haruno's.'**_

'_Oh, it is. That sexy little pink thong right there was just on her sexy little body.'_

Gaara fought the blood rushing to his pelvis at the thought of seeing her in just that thin little excuse for an undergarment.

'_.. Wanna sniff it?'_

"U-Uhm.." he heard a soft, timid voice from the other shower stall. The water had been turned off.

"C-Could you hand me a towel, please..? I, uh..forgot one.."

He smiled. He could picture her red, blushing, embarrassed face.

"Sure," he replied, and reached into the cabinet for a towel. He then tossed it over the stall door and heard a small "Thanks" from the other side.

He went to the sink to begin brushing his teeth, taking his toothbrush from its place on the counter. He turned the water on and applied toothpaste to the brush, and began scrubbing his teeth with the bristles.

He was just finishing up when he heard the stall door creak open. He wiped his mouth and looked back to see a shy, embarrassed Sakura covered only in a small towel.

His testosterones began raging through his body, his face heating up some. Her pink, rosy cheeks, her pink hair dripping water on her shoulders and down her arms, her slender legs extending from the towel, her nicely curved body barely covered.. She'd grown _a lot._ She even had ample breasts; he could see the little valley between them.

"S-Sorry," she muttered, and grabbed up her clothes, rushing out of the room. He looked back to see that she'd left the thong behind by accident. He smirked and walked to pick it up. He didn't let his dignity sink low enough to sniff it, however.

'_**I'll have to return it to her..' **_he thought.

'_We should just keep it,' _his mind snickered. _'She'll never know!'_

'_**I'm returning it.' **_He countered. _**'I just have to find a way how without making it awkward..'**_

'_Oh please. You know you'd love to see her squirm. We both know you think she's adorable when she's embarrassed.'_

'_**That's beside the point. I'm not even supposed to have another conscience.. Get out of my head.'**_

'_Sorry, bud. You've gotten so lonely over the years that you developed me to keep you company. You're stuck with me.'_

Gaara groaned, clutching his head. He shook it, and finally his other self faded away, leaving him to pant slightly, glaring at the mirror.

_CRASH!_

The glass that made up the mirror scattered across the floor and sinks.

* * *

Sakura heard a faint crash from another room down the hall. Her brows furrowed, wondering what the noise was. Was it Gaara?

_Gaara…_

She blushed heavily and her body became hot and bothered at the remembrance of what he looked like in that little towel. His abdomen and chest were nicely toned and defined, his shoulders narrow and his body slender.. His wet, red hair falling into his dark-rimmed eyes, his strong hands resting on his narrow hips…

'**YOU KNOW YOU WANT HIM!'** Inner Sakura screeched. **'SO GO CLAIM YOUR MAN! CHA!!'**

Sakura rolled her eyes, shoving the raving Inner out of her mind. She couldn't deny the fact that she _did _want the Kazekage, to some degree.

She glanced at the clock.

"SHIMATTA!" she cursed, rushing to the closet and throwing her outfit on. She didn't have time to put the wrappings her bra consisted of on. She decided she'd put some on once she got to the hospital.

She grabbed her medic pack and rushed out the door of her room. She flew down the hall, about to turn on the stairs, and she smacked straight into a rock-hard chest. She gasped and was about to tumble backwards down the stairs. She braced herself for the fall, squeezing her eyes shut, but instead found her wrist grasped by a steady hand.

Her eyes popped open and she gazed up at Gaara's face in shock. He stared down at her, his face passive as usual. He pulled her up, setting her straight on the floor.

"Th-Thank you," Sakura breathed, blushing in embarrassment.

"It's fine." Gaara stared at her, eyes narrowing. "You alright?"

"Yeah.."

He couldn't help it.

Her breasts caught his eye. He did his best to be discreet about it, but he was staring. He was staring at her breasts, hanging loose, round and plump. She wasn't wearing anything under the shirt, he could tell. He could see little buds poking through the fabric of the shirt, most likely from the adrenaline of the sudden near-fall.

"I-I have to go," Sakura muttered, and pulled her wrist out of his grip. He watched her as she turned and ran down the stairs.

'_.. We want her.'_

'_**I know.'**_


	10. Favorite Patient

_One of Them_

"**Favorite Patient."**

Sakura got to the hospital, still slightly flustered from her previous encounter with Gaara. Her mind was so scrambled that she almost ran into the front door because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going.

She scurried up to the front desk. "Haruno Sakura," she breathed. "Here to tutor the new medics."

"Ah, yes, Miss Haruno." The secretary smiled. "There will be someone with you in just a moment."

Sakura waited in the lobby while the secretary murmured a few things into the phone. A few minutes later, a raven-haired, tall, thin woman walked in, lab coat swishing behind her. She walked up to Sakura, holding out her hand. "Mayami, Mayami Yakito."

"Haruno Sakura, nice to meet you." Sakura smiled, taking the woman's hand and shaking it firmly.

"Charmed." The woman replied briskly. "Now, come with me, we'll put you straight to work."

Sakura followed the woman down several hallways, slightly confused.

The woman stopped abruptly at a door, and opened it. Sakura blinked in surprise as she saw a classroom already full of people, waiting. "Your classroom." Mayami said, and motioned for her to go in. "You have two hours then report to me, you'll receive some patients."

"Teach." The woman commanded before slamming the door shut.

The look on Sakura's face made the men and women in the classroom snicker.

"You'll get used to that in time." One said in between laughs.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Ah, wow.. I didn't really expect a.. _classroom.."_

They all looked at her intently, obviously waiting for her to start.

"Well.. I'm Sakura Haruno." Sakura barely kept herself from stuttering nervously. "I guess I'll start where your experience ends. I want you all to get out a sheet of paper and write down the extent of your medical knowledge. You have all the time you need."

Sakura hesitantly sat down at the desk as the men and women got to work.

She waited..

And waited..

And waited.

She was about to fall asleep when the last person turned their paper in. She looked at the clock; she still had half an hour left. She looked at them all and smiled. "Uhm.. you're dismissed? I'm just going to look over your papers, so.. you may go."

They all left and soon, Sakura was in the classroom by herself.

xXx

She yawned as she began reading over the fourteenth paper. She glanced up at the clock. It was time to report to Mayami, and Sakura hadn't finished the papers. _'They know more than I thought,' _Sakura thought pleasantly. _'This should be a bit easier.'_

Leaving the papers stacked neatly on her new desk, she left the classroom and wandered the halls. She looked around, confused. "Eh.. she didn't tell me where to go.."

"There you are!" came a loud female voice from behind the roseate, making her jump and spin around. "I've been looking for you forever!"

"M-Mayami-sama," Sakura stuttered, chuckling nervously. "Y-You never told me where to—"

"Never mind that," Mayami brushed her off, grabbing her hand. "Time to start with your patients. We're overflowing."

Sakura nodded hesitantly, before being dragged down the hall.

xXx

Sakura had treated around forty patients, and was starting to get tired. It was around one thirty in the afternoon, and Sakura wondered when she'd get off. Most of her patients were injured shinobi, and were released as soon as she'd healed them, being perfectly fine. A few were regulars at the hospital, staying there because of diseases and conditions that prevented them from leaving.

She looked down at her clipboard to see what room her next patient was in. This man was a regular at the hospital, and was around her age, a little bit older. She pitied the condition he had. He had a tumor in his liver, and apparently none of the other medics knew how to treat it without there being a good chance he wouldn't survive.

Sakura knew the way to take tumors out of the body, but she'd need her full strength for the surgery. It was a very delicate procedure, and required a heap of chakra and concentration, and knew she'd have to prepare for it. The only thing she could do for now was keep his body running until she could perform the surgery and get him out of the hospital for good.

She made her way to room 404. "Aoi Shiroyama.." she murmured.

Once she got to his room, she opened the door slowly, poking her head in. "Mister Shiroyama..?"

"Come in," she heard a faint masculine voice. She slowly stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. The clipboard held to her chest, she approached the bed to see a devastating handsome young man sitting up in his hospital bed. She stifled her small gasp with her hand, and fought the small blush rising to her cheeks. Though his skin was a sickly pale color, and his eyes were tired and worn, he was beautiful. He had long black hair, bangs hanging on his forehead, and his eyes were a golden hue. He smiled at her. "I haven't seen you before."

"I'm, uh," Sakura smiled some at him, approaching the bed. "I'm a medic, from Konoha. I've come to help with patients and tutor the more inexperienced medics."

"Ah, I see." The man smiled, tilting his head slightly. "I'm Aoi.. nice to meet you."

"Sakura." Sakura smiled at him, holding a hand out. He took it, shaking it gently. _'His grip is weak,' _Sakura thought. _'His body's growing weaker.. I need to get started.'_

"Well, Shiroyama-sa—"

"Please, call me Aoi."

Sakura smiled. "Aoi-san, I have an operation I can do to fully heal you, get rid of that tumor, and get you out of here."

Aoi's face lit up. "Really..?"

"Absolutely." Sakura nodded, smiling. "But I'll need preparation for it, and I don't have enough chakra to do it yet.. I'm going to create a pill that will boost my chakra, and as soon as I can, I'll perform the surgery and you'll be perfectly fine."

Aoi nodded, the fact that he had to wait not seeming to bother him at all. "When will you be ready..?"

"A couple of weeks," replied Sakura sadly. "Hopefully sooner. Until then, I'll be healing you every day to make sure I can keep your body as healthy as possible, for your condition. You'll still be weak, and you'll go through some pain, but you'll stay alive as long as I'm here. Alright?"

Aoi nodded again. "My life is in your hands."

Sakura smiled softly at him. "Alright, let's begin for today."

xXx

It was around five o' clock when Sakura got to leave the hospital. She wasn't as tired as she thought she would be; the long nights in Konoha's Infirmary built up her stamina. She stopped by a little café and got something to eat, before heading back to the Kazekage's tower, hoping to hop straight in her warm bed.

Before her mind could react, her feet began moving towards the door of the Kazekage's office. She knocked quietly on the door.

"Come in," came a faint reply.

Sakura poked her head in the door. "Hey."

Gaara looked up, face expressionless. "Hey."

"Uhm.. are you alright?" she bit her lip, hoping not to stutter. "Do you need anything?"

"What are you, my maid?" Gaara looked at her, slightly annoyed.

Sakura looked down. "W-Well no.. I was just wondering.."

".. I'm fine." Gaara replied, before looking back down at his papers and continuing to write.

Sakura nodded meekly, before pulling her head back.

"Sakura," Gaara called faintly, and Sakura stuck her head back in the door.

Before he knew it, Gaara blurted, "Would you like to stay? I could use some company."

Sakura looked at him like he'd grown another leg and declared himself a leprechaun, and he was slightly flabbergasted at his own words. _**'Where the HELL did that come from? Why would I want her company?! She'll talk my damn ears off!'**_

'_That's when you just chop her head off and..'_

'_**Don't even go there.'**_

'_Wasn't gonna.'_

Sakura debated on whether she should accept the invitation or not. She weighed her options: Sleeping in a warm, comfy bed, or spending time with a devilishly handsome, yet cold red-head.

For some strange reason, she liked the latter option.

"Alright. I'll stay."


	11. Hot and Cold

_One of Them_

**"Hot and Cold."**

There wasn't much talk between the two as Sakura stayed in his office; the time was mainly spent with him doing paperwork and her watching. Within that time, she'd memorized every line and curve on his face. And she didn't find a single flaw. The occasional drop of sweat was visible under his hair line, but that was expected, wasn't it? Who wore a long trench-coat and _pants_ in the desert?

Other than that, he was.. well, perfect. She couldn't find a single fault in his physical appearance. She eagerly dove into the little conversation they did share. It was mainly random comments and witty wordplay, but Sakura was excitedly awaiting his every word. She couldn't get enough of him, she didn't know why.

She enjoyed every word he said, that is.. until he said: ".. You left something in the bathroom, this morning."

Her eyes widened in horror. _What did she leave?_

"W-Wh..What would that be?" she gulped slightly.

He glanced at her and smirked, and she decided she didn't like the unusual glint in his eye. She bit her lip anxiously.

He set his pen down. "I'll get it. I'm done for tonight anyways."

He stood, and she stood as well, anxiously following through the door of his office after he'd turned the light off. It was dark outside, she could tell by looking out the window. Her attention soon turned back to Gaara as she followed him up the stairs. Her eyes shifted downwards, and she felt her cheeks turn a light pink. She couldn't believe she was staring at his _ass! _Oh, but what a nice ass it was…

'**YEAH! YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT! GET THAT ASS, CHA!' **Inner Sakura yelled.

Her eye twitched.

Since when did she become so _immodest?_ She'd never had sex, and she'd never really had such.. _thoughts _like that before. She appreciated the male body, yes, but she'd never had thoughts like _that _before.

When he arrived at a door and went to open it, she looked into the room. It was dark, yet elegant in an eerie yet beautiful way. She couldn't see very well in the dark lighting, so she didn't know what he held in his hands until he was standing right in front of her.

Her eyes widened in complete and utter horror at what he was holding up by one of its thin strings.

Her _THONG?!_

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out.

xXx

Gaara groaned, putting his forehead in the palm of his hand. There she was, on the floor in the middle of the hallway, passed out. He sighed, staring down at her. Was he going to have to carry her? He didn't like that idea too much. He didn't like touching people, or being touched unless necessary. He supposed it was because he'd been almost all of his life without pain associating itself with physical touch. And like every sensible person, he didn't enjoy pain.

But was he a sensible person?

The answer was obvious: No, he wasn't. He wasn't a sensible person.

He wasn't a_ normal _person.

But, he supposed.. He _did _want to touch her. He wanted to see what human touch felt like without pain. But did he want to take a chance with a moody, often violent kunoichi? He didn't know that much.

With a small sigh, he grabbed her, hoisting her up in his arms. Her body was warm, so warm it seared his pale skin. The heat radiating off of her was discomforting, but he liked it.. in a way. It was heat he'd never experienced, even with boiling showers. He stared down at her face, which was red as a cherry. He let a smug smirk cross his face. _'Told you she was cute when she's embarrassed.'_

'_**Yeah, she is.'**_

He looked around, and suddenly realized he didn't know where her room was. He groaned and rolled his eyes, turning in all directions, wondering which direction her room was in.

"Ugh.." he growled in frustration, before turning and going back into his room. He settled her on his bed, and sighed, glaring at her limp form. He wasn't going to get any sleep that night, and he knew it. He just let her be on his bed, and settled onto the small couch, glaring at his feet, which were hanging off the end.

He sighed and closed his eyes, hoping to possibly fall unconscious.

xXx

Her eyes opened, and she was sweating. She quickly sat up and found that she was on a comfortable bed, but she was fully clothed and laying on top of the blankets. It was dark outside, and the window was open. She looked around. The room was unfamiliar.

She heard a light snore and her head jerked in the direction of the couch. She saw a form lying on it, but she couldn't make out who it was. She slowly crawled off of the large bed and padded over to the couch, her eyes squinting to try and make out the person's face. Once she was close enough to tell who it was, she found herself on her back with him straddling her hips, a kunai to her throat. Her eyes widened in fear and she gulped, breathing shakily.

"Who are you.." he growled, and his voice sent little tremors through her whole body. Her face turned a dark shade of red and she stared up at the man, his face hidden in shadow. He smelled familiar, however, and she squinted her eyes, trying to see his face.

"W-Who are you..?" she asked, her eyes wide and fully awake.

He shook his head slightly, and he suddenly got off of her, allowing her to sit up.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, holding out a hand. She took it, and immediately jerked her hand back, eyes wide. His hand was so _cold.._

"Your hand is cold," she whispered, looking up at him. She now saw a bit of his face from a sliver of moonlight, sifting through the open window; it was Gaara. She breathed a sigh of relief in the knowledge that she wasn't in the room of a complete stranger, but the fact that she was sleeping in the _Kazekage's _bed made her turn a bright red.

He grunted in reply, and grabbed her hand, hauling her to her feet. She bit her lip and looked at him shyly. "S-Sorry for waking you," she mumbled. "I.. didn't know who it was, and I couldn't see so.."

"It's fine," he grunted and ran a hand through his mussed hair. His clothes were wrinkled and he looked very unhappy.

"I-I'll just.. go," Sakura blushed profusely, ducking her head and quickly hurrying out of the room before he could respond.

She hurried down the hallway in the direction of her room, and thanked Kami she knew where it was. She would have died if she had to back and ask the grumpy red-head for directions.

When she got back into her room, safe and sound, she looked at the clock. It read 1:30 AM. _'Good,' _she thought, relieved. _'I can go back to bed.'_

As she pulled her clothes off, making her way to her bed, she realized: _'Did he even tell me what I left in the bathroom?!'_


End file.
